[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 81 (Monday, May 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Judicial Nominations

  Mr. President, now on judges, last week was a very productive week in 
the Senate for judicial nominees. The Judiciary Committee reported out 
six more nominees for lifetime appointments to the Federal bench. We 
are continuing the work of confirming more outstanding judges this 
week, starting today.
  This afternoon, we will vote to confirm Bradley Garcia as a circuit 
court judge for the highly important DC Circuit. After the Supreme 
Court, as everyone knows, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals is the most 
important Federal court in the country--particularly when it comes to 
government actions--and it takes up cases, of course, that the Supreme 
Court is unable to consider. The Supreme Court only takes up about 75 
cases a year, and so the DC Circuit Court has many, many vital and 
important cases. The DC Circuit is often the final word on hugely 
consequential cases, particularly those involving Congress and the 
executive branch.
  I am proud to say that, once confirmed, Bradley Garcia will make 
history as the first Latino ever to serve on the DC Circuit since it 
was established in 1893. Latinos are historically underrepresented 
across the Federal bench, so confirming the first-ever Latino to the 
second most important court is a long overdue step toward making the 
Federal bench better reflect our country.
  When it comes to confirming people to the Federal bench, especially 
to the highly important and vital DC Circuit, it is imperative to get 
it right, and President Biden got it right with the historic nomination 
of Bradley Garcia.
  A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Harvard Law School, Mr. Garcia has a 
wealth of public and private legal experience defending civil and human 
rights. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and rose to be 
a partner at a law firm before leaving to serve in the Justice 
Department's Office of Legal Counsel.
  Mr. Garcia, being of generous spirit, boasts an impressive pro bono 
record, advocating for clients in cases implicating the rights of 
immigrants and criminal defendants, women's reproductive freedoms, and 
free and fair elections.
  So I am confident that Bradley Garcia will make an outstanding 
addition to the DC Circuit, joining the proud company of so many other 
Biden appointments who are, little by little, making our courts a 
better reflection of the population of the United States of America.
  Mr. Garcia received a bipartisan vote out of the Judiciary Committee. 
I am proud to say that. I thank my Republican colleagues who voted for 
him, and I expect that bipartisan support to carry on to the floor this 
afternoon. I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for 
working with us.
  Senate Democrats will continue making judicial confirmations one of 
our top priorities moving forward. We have made remarkable progress in 
our work to confirm good mainstream and diverse judges under President 
Biden, and we will keep working toward that goal this week and beyond.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Kelly). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.